Trolley-mounting.



Patented Nov. 26, I90].

2 SheetsSheat I.

(No Model.)

N0. 687,56I. Patented Nov. 26, I90l.

- F. C. GREENE.

TROLLEY MOUNTING.

(Application filed Mar. 21. 1901.)

(No Model.) E 2 Sheets-Sheet 2.

WITNESSES INVENTOR 0 1 a a. zuww.

XZ/WM A; BY

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

FRED C. GREENE, OF LYNN, MASSACHUSETTS, ASSIGNOR OF ONE-HALF TO MINOTT K. KENDALL, OF MELROSE HIGHLANDS, MASSACHUSETTS, AND GEORGE A. DILLINGHAM, OF CAMBRIDGE, MASSACHUSETTS.

TROLLEY-MOUNTING.

SFEOIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 687,561, dated November 26, 1901.

Application filed March 21, 1901. Serial No. 52,178. tNo model.)

To aZZ whom it may concern.-

Be it known that I, FRED C. GREENE, a citizen of the United States, residing at Lynn, in the county of Essex and State of Massa chusetts, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Trolley-Mountings, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to overhead trolleys for cars, and particularly to the supports or mountings on the car for supporting the trolley-pole. It is well known that in this class of devices the pole which carries the contact-wheel or trolley is secured to a buttpiece hinged in a support which is pivoted :5 to turn about a vertical axis in a socket on the car-roof, the pole being pressed upward to keep the trolley in contact with the supply-conductorby means ofa spring or springs. The result of this construction is that if the trolley leaves the supply conductor or wire while the car is in rapid motion the pole flies up and is liable to engage the guys or crosswires and do material damage before the car can be stopped. It is to overcome this difficulty, as well as to provide a convenient means for lowering the pole while the car is in the barn, that my present invention is directed, and this result is efiected by so constructing the pole-mounting that when the pole flies up by reason of the trolley leaving the conductor the tension of the supporting spring or springs is automatically relieved and the pole at once falls down to a nearly horizontal or slightly-inclined position. To

put the spring or springs again under tension, it is only necessary to draw down on the pole, when the latter will again rise to its normal position. These operations in handling the pole may be effected through the medium of the ordinary controlling cord or rope attached to the pole.

In the accompanying drawings, which illustrate an embodiment of the invention, Figure 1 is a View on a relatively small scale, show- 5 ing part of a car provided with my invention. Fig. 2 is a plan of the mounting on a larger scale than Fig. 1. Fig. 3 is a side elevation of the same, and Fig. 4 is a side view showing the position of the parts when the trolley 5o has left the conductor.

1 is a socket-piece mounted on the top of the car C, and in this socket-piece is a vertical or upright bearing to receive a journal on a horizontally-rotatable frame 2 2 The trolley-pole 3, carrying the trolley T, is fitted in a socketed and forked butt-piece 4, which is hinged to the head of said frame at as and is substantially a part of the pole. The rotatable frame has in it a rule-joint w, the function of which will be hereinafter explained, and for convenience its two parts are designated by the letters 2 and 2 respect-ively. The rule-joint to may be of the usual kind, with shoulders to limit the movement in both directions about the hinge-axis. 5 represents the springs, which arecoupled at their inner ends through links 6 to the buttpiece 4 and at their outer ends to the framesection 2 through a spring-frame 7, coupled to the outer end of the said frame-section 2 at 12 Preferably there will be a bearing-roller 2 mounted in the frame-section 2 The normal position of the parts when the trolley T is bearing upward on the supplyconductor, Fig. 1, overhead is shown in full lines in Fig. 3. The sections of the frame 2 2 are alined, and the line of strain through the longitudinal axes of the springs is below the hinge-axis at the rule-joint w, so that the springs are under tension and the strain tends to hold the hinged frame 2 2 extended. Now if the trolley leaves the conductor C the springs will throw the trolley-pole up to a more nearly vertical position, (see Fig. 4,) and hunters 8 on the lower extremities of the curved branches of the butt-piece 4. will take under the respective links 6 and drive upward their ends, which are coupled to the springs, thus elevating the line of pull of the springs above the axis of-the joint 10. The tension of the springs will then be instantly relieved by the swinging upward of the framesection 2 turning about the axis of the hinge w, as seen in dotted lines in Fig. 3. The tension of the supporting-springs 5 being now 5 relieved, the pole 3 will fall, striking on the cushioning-roller 2. In failing the pole will put a moderate amount of tension on the springs by drawing on the links 6, and this tension will also serve to cushion the descent too of the pole. In rising, after the trolley leaves the conductor the upward movement is limited and cushioned by the cross-rod 2, by which the links 6 are coupled to the lower curved branches of the forked butt-piece 4 impinging on a spring 10 on the rotatable frame. In order to elevate the pole again to its normal position, with the trolley underrunning the conductor, the operator pulls down the pole through the medium of the rope or cord 0. The pole, bearing on the roller 2*, depresses the frame-section 2 to the position seen in full lines in Fig. 3. This puts the springs again under stable tension and the pole may be allowed to rise to the normal position, with the trolley on the conductor. Obviously the motorman may with the aid of the cord 0 remove the trolley from the conductor 0 and permit the pole to fly up until the springs are relieved of tension, when the pole will fall.

I do not restrict myself to the specific construction herein illustrated, as this may be varied or modified in some respects without departing materially from myinvention. For example, the number of springs employed is not material, and the roller 2 is not absolutely essential. Preferably this roller, if employed, will have a peripheral surface of someyieldingorelasticmaterial. Thehingepin at x will have, by preference, sleeverollers 9 on its ends, and when the pole is drawn down these rollers come into bearing on the links 6, tending to depress or hold the latter down.

It will be noted that the butt-piece 4, which is practically 'a part of the pole 3, is in the nature of a lever fulcrumed at 00, of which the pole is the longer arm, and the links 6 are coupled to the shorter arm or arms, which latter are curved and carry the hunters 8. The links 6 and frame 7 are merely connecting devices for the springs. The latter has its two links connected by a transverse part, and the links 6 might be also so tied together.

Having thus described my invention, I claim 1. Atrolley-mounting having the following instrumentalities, namely: a socket-piece, a

rotatable frame mounted therein and composed of two sections connected by a rulejoint, a trolley-pole provided with a buttpiece fulcrumed on said frame, a spring or springs, means for coupling said springs at one end to the outer section of said frame and at the other end to the arm of the butt-piece below the fulcrum-pivot,-and means carried by said butt-piece for elevating the axes of the springs above the level of the hinge-joint of the frame when-the trolley-pole rises to a predetermined extent above the normal, substantially as and for the purpose set forth.

2. In a trolley-mounting, the combination with the frame composed of two sections 2, 2 hinged together at w, the butt-piece 4:, fulcrumed on said frame at 00, the pole 3 therein, the links 6, coupled to the lower arm of the butt-piece, the frame 7, coupled to the framesection 2 at y, and the springs 5, two or more, coupled at one end to the links 6 and at the other end to the frame 7, of the hunters 8 on the lower arm of said butt-piece in position to take under the respective links 6 and elevate the springs when the trolley-pole is elevated to a predetermined extent above the normal, substantially as set forth.

3. In a trolley-mounting, the combination with the frame composed of two sections 2, 2 hinged together at w-with a rule-joint, so that the section 2 may turn upward, the bearingroller 2 mounted in said section 2 the buttpiece 4 fulcrumed on the frame-section 2 at or, the springs 5, means for coupling the springs at one end to the butt-piece below the fulcrum m, and at the other end to the framesection 2 and means carried by said buttpiece for elevating the springs and thus relieving their tension when the trolley-pole is elevated to a predetermined extent above the normal, substantially as set forth.

In witness whereof I have hereuntosigned my name, this 18th day of March, 1901, in the presence of two subscribing witnesses.

FRED O. GREENE.

Witnesses:

MINOTT K. KENDALL, GEORGE A. DILLINGHAM. 

